12 Animals You Don’t Want to Piss Off

The animal kingdom: wonderful, fascinating, and dangerous. Many of the creatures inhabiting the planet prefer to avoid much human interaction, but others will attack when provoked. Others still will attack just because that is what they do. Poisonous animals developed ways to defend themselves, as well as attack and kill prey.

Obviously the direct wounds of tooth and claw will cause the expected issues, leaving victims with missing limbs, massive blood loss or toxic venom. Confrontations can be lethal, or they can leave you with side effects that just make you wish you were dead. This article details some bizarre ailments that you could suffer if you tangle with spiders, snakes, fish and more.

So read on to learn which animals to avoid at all costs, or at least prevent pissing them off.

A Tick Could Leave You Allergic To Meat

A tick bite is not exactly most people’s idea of fun, but it’s not terribly uncommon, and it’s not usually too serious. Most people only suffer from slight swelling and irritation, not to mention the disgust of a little critter burrowing into your skin. Sometimes, though, a tick bite can be much more serious.

Some people experience quite a strange side effect that can take up to six months to detect. After a bite from certain species of tick, such as the Lone Star, they will mysteriously develop a strong allergy to red meat. Research shows that the proteins in the bug’s saliva interact with the victim’s immune system, causing it to target the same proteins in the food the person eats.

Camel Bites Might Cause Bones to Dissolve

Camel Bites Might Lead To Bones Dissolving

You’ve probably heard of camels spitting, and it would certainly be painful if one stepped on your toe. Maybe they bite every now and then. As a domesticated animal though, they are generally pretty safe.

Recent studies point toward a pretty wild potential side effect of camel bites. Their saliva may contain a certain bacteria that can lead to osteolysis – meaning the victims bones begin to dissolve.

The Brazilian Wandering Spider Bite Leads To Hours-Long Erections

A lot of people have a fear of spiders, and for good reason. Plenty of them have venomous bites that cause anything from pain and irritation to death. However, the Brazilian Wandering Spider can cause another symptom in males. Its venom contains a toxin that affects the flow of blood, causing erections that can last up to four hours.

Now, we have all seen the ED pill commercials saying that’s a reason to call your doctor. In this case, doctors are researching the potential to use the venom in development of new medications to treat erectile dysfunction.

The Boomslang Snake Makes You Bleed From Every Orifice

Like spiders, snakes have earned their place on the list of top phobias. They’re some of the most poisonous animals and even terrify the likes of Indiana Jones. Again, some are a lot more serious than others. Meet the Boomslang snake, one of the most poisonous on the planet. Its venom is hemotoxic, meaning it attacks the blood, destroys red blood cells, prevents clotting, and can destroy body tissue. You won’t just bleed from the fang marks, but from the eyes, ears, anus, and every orifice of the body.

The Stonefish Stings Kill Flesh And Cause Nerve Damage

The ocean is a truly wondrous place. Colorful coral and playful dolphins coexist with all manner of stealthy sharks and poisonous animals.

One of the most dangerous fish in the world, the stonefish has 13 poisonous spines down its back. These can penetrate thick leather and easily kill predators and humans alike. Those who do survive will nonetheless suffer gruesome consequences – the venom kills flesh, causes permanent nerve damage and muscle loss. Victims compare the feeling a stonefish sting to being hit with a sledgehammer.

Irukandji Jellyfish Attack the Body and Mind

What’s the worst thing about a jellyfish sting? Maybe you get a bit of a rash. Maybe you have to suffer the humiliation of treating the sting with urine. Undeniably, it’s a painful experience

The Irukandji jellyfish takes things to another level. It can cause up to 12 hours of intense pain, cramping, nausea and vomiting. Much more unsettling though, victims report existential dread and a feeling of impending doom. Even if the sting isn’t lethal, the paranoia is strong enough that victims believe they are going to die.

Months of Headaches And Joint Pain Follow a Deathstalker Sting

The deathstalker, like many other scorpions, has venom in its stinger that can potentially kill victims, and definitely cause searing pain. Unlike other species however, the complications can last long beyond the initial attack. Victims may suffer from drowsiness, fatigue, joint pain and headaches for up to six months.

Botflies Try to Plant Flesh-Eating Larvae Under Your Skin

Who hasn’t experienced a few bug bites in their lives? They are itchy, sore, swollen, ugly and annoying. Unlike the mosquito bite which vanishes within days, the botfly bit can leave a permanent and nasty looking mark.

Worse, they inject victims with their larvae, which grow under the skin and live as a parasite in the body. The larvae can travel through the victim’s body, making them difficult to detect or remove. If they die or are only partially removed, they will likely cause infections.

Platypus Venom Deteriorates Your Muscle

The platypus is unique. With a duck bill and a beaver body, it’s the only mammal to lay eggs and one of very few that produces venom. The platypus doesn’t play around. Its potent poison causes pain so extreme that morphine can’t alleviate it, along with nausea and cold sweats that last for months on end. Finally, it causes muscle deterioration, so victims appear to waste away

The assassin caterpillar is the first stage in the lifecycle of the giant silk moth Lonomia obliqua. The youngsters are not innocent. Hundreds of bristles cover its body, giving it a unique appearance and deadly side effects. The assassin caterpillar’s venom attacks cellular structure, breaking down proteins so they lose their shape. This causes leaking and internal bleeding, putting enough pressure on internal organs to cause them to burst.

Poisonous Brown Recluse Spiders Kill Your Flesh

There is much publicity around the brown recluse spider, one of the most commonly encountered poisonous animals. Though sometimes exaggerated, the effects of this spider’s bite are quite frightening. About one in ten cases involve necrosis, or flesh and skin decay. Cells literally die off, and may require a graft of cartilage from elsewhere in the body to stimulate new cellular growth.

You’ll Bleed Freely from Komodo Dragon Bite Wounds

Komodo dragons are one of the largest living lizard species, which in and of itself makes them scary. Their bites severely weaken prey, a phenomenon scientists attributed to bacteria transferred from their mouths to the victim’s blood stream. However, new research in 2009 suggests that they are actually poisonous animals that produce their own venom.

The venom gland resides between the Komodo’s teeth, and when they bite down, they pump it directly into the wound. It prevents blood from clotting, causing massive blood loss and sudden drop in blood pressure. This reduces the victims’ ability to fight or flee, and ultimately kills them.